Northern Stars Seminar is an annual youth entrepreneurship event in Rovaniemi, Finland. It is organized by a team of Lapland UAS international students, in close co-operation with student union InnoBarentsLab. The aim of this event is to promote international youth entrepreneurship in the Barents region, by inviting experienced business experts from around the world as speakers for the event. Students have an excellent opportunity to listen to real-life entrepreneurial stories, and get valuable insights on succeeding in working life.

Arctic Workshop Day on Thursday 19.4.2018

On Thursday 19.4 the event was kicked off with Arctic Workshop Day. Anzelika Krastina, Northern Stars Seminar project supervisor and senior lecturer at Lapland UAS, opened up the day with a welcoming speech. After that Jenni Rajahalme, JCI Finland 2017 National President and Partner at Kumppania Oy, held a speech via Skype about the importance of networking. She reminded everyone to be kind to one another, because you never know if they are going to lead to future partnerships.

T​hen it was time for students to take over the stage, and show their skills as workshop organizers! First up was Magical Inspiration workshop, which started on high spirits with motivational video and speech. This was followed by magician Juha-Matti Ristiharju´s speech on the realism of entrepreneur life and his magic tricks.

Creating a startup in the North workshop focused in a holistic view of a business based on what is visible to people inside or outside the company and what kind of worldview the company culture holds. Guest speaker Anu Harju-Myllyaho, project planner at Lapland UAS, talked about startup myths.

Anu Harju-Myllyaho. Photo: Christie Leung

Esa Posio with participants. Photo: Christie Leung

Arctic Workshop Day on Thursday 19.4. ended with the third workshop Be The Next Entrepreneur. Team together with quest speaker Esa Posio held an intensive brainstorming session concentrating on the profitability and applicability of business ideas.

Northern Stars Seminar main event on Friday 20.4.2018

​First half of the main day was called Business Opportunities in the Arctic, hosted by Teppo Säkkinen, management student from University of Lapland. Opening speech was held by Reijo Tolppi, Vice President of Lapland UAS. He wanted to bring up the potential of the Arctic and how it will look like in the future. After that topics like entrepreneurship, career path and future of the Arctic were brought up in speakers’ speeches.

Reijo Tolppi. Photo: Nichola Chow

Teppo Säkkinen. Photo: Nichola Chow

Robbie Patterson. Photo: Nichola Chow

"If you're an entrepreneur, you have to learn how to lose. And learn how to lose and learn from it. Because if you don't learn from it, you are just going to keep on banging your head down, and eventually you're going to quit." Nutmegger PR entrepreneur Robbie Patterson, USA told about his business and shared his knowledge about startup opportunities in Lapland.

Keynote speaker of the day, Heikki Autto (Chairman of the Rovaniemi City Council) showed why Arctic matters, and why young talents need a platform to shine. It was important for students to meet such a talented local person, who truly sees the potential of the Arctic.

Heikki Autto. Photo: Nichola Chow

Duong Nguyen. Photo: Nichola Chow

"If you are preparing to be an entrepreneur, make sure you follow the right directions. If you are still considering where to go, just please explore yourself, explore your choices, explore what you like and what you can do for the society. And of course, if you need any support during the process, don't hesitate to ask for it." Duong Nguyen, Co-founder of Lean In Vietnam & Lapland UAS alumni shared why social entrepreneurship can change the world.

Head of European Innovation Management & Lapland UAS alumni, Martin Scott: “Open innovation will play a key role in developed economies over the next decade.” He has co-founded Vision2020 Horizon Network Programme and Crowdhelix Collaboration Intelligence.

Martin Scott, UK. Photo: Nichola Chow

During the lunch break there was “Napalaakso tutuksi” –event, where students studying in virtual learning environment at Lapland UAS got to present their businesses.

Thomas Draper. Photo: Nichola Chow

Creative Entrepreneurship in the Arctic and beyond –session began right after lunch, hosted by Thomas Draper (Arctic Lifestyle, Lapland UAS BBA –student).

First speaker for the afternoon was Umed Azizov (ITSCW - Executive Group of The World Bank Group), through Skype all the way from Washington D.C! He is also an alumni from Lapland UAS. He summed everything up pretty perfectly: “It will never get easier, but we get better.”

Umed Azizov, USA. Photo: Nichola Chow

After Umed’s speech, the audience got the chance to hear more about what happened behind the scenes of the seminar. Northern Stars Seminar project manager Nina Niskala and executive assistant Laura Ukkola shared their experiences as organizers. They also told about student union InnoBarentsLab, which is great opportunity for students in LaplandUAS to get practical experience on international projects.

Minttu-Mari Haverinen, CEO & owner at Haffuer Office pointed out that it is really important to find out what is different about you compared to others. That is an excellent base to start making business with.

Minttu-Mari Haverinen. Photo: Nichola Chow

Johan Berglund. Photo: Nichola Chow

Johan Berglund, teacher and Barents entrepreneur from Luleå, Sweden: ” You just need to figure out what it is you're exceptionally good at doing. I think that is something you need to discuss with your friends, because they know you lot better than you think. Use that!"

"Nordjobb is a Nordic labour market exchange programme, that arranges seasonal work for young people in the Nordic countries. Nordjobb also assists the applicant in finding accommodation and offers recreational activities during the summer months." –Eeva Väisänen & Leena Höglund, Nordjobb

Eeva Väisänen & Lena Höglund. Photo: Heli Herttua

Anzelika Krastina. Photo: Nichola Chow

​After that, Anzelika Krastina (senior lecturer at Lapland UAS) closed the day shortly by thanking everyone for their participation, especially the organizers.

Northern Stars Pitching on Saturday 21.4.2018​

As final step of this year’s event, students organized Northern Stars Pitching event at Kauppakeskus Revontuli on Saturday 21.4. It is a competition providing a platform for students to present their business ideas in front of a professional jury.

Seven teams presented their innovative business ideas, and they we’re all amazing!New business ideas included Brazilian steakhouse, Anticafe, professional hockey camp in France, recycled furniture service, parcel service in Cameroon, Rovaniemi city app and Mio Carino online store.

Veli-Matti Heikura and.Sara Samu. Photo: Nichola Chow

During the breaks, beatboxer Bogdan, local dance group Veeta and singer Taneli Laurinolli performed for the audience. It helped to create more relaxed atmosphere for the students pitching their ideas.

Bogdan Molchanov. Photo: Audrey Champigny

Dance group Veeta. Photo: Audrey Champigny

The recycled furniture service idea by Roma Shamray was selected as winner of the day in the following Northern Stars After Party at Café Koti. Singer Laurinolli continued to entertain the audience while all of the members and attendees of the seminar got to relax and mingle with each other, signing the end for Northern Stars Seminar 2018.

The main idea of this workshop is to motivate people to follow their dreams and goals, especially in entrepreneurship field. There will be a short video clip made by us to present the origin of the idea, followed by a presentation. Famous magician Juha-Matti helps us feel inspirational by not only his motivational story but also his entertaining magic trick skills. Through this event, we expect the audience will be motivated and start pursue their life goals.

Our core partner InnoBarentsLab is a student union promoting entrepreneurship in the Barents region by developing and supporting new innovative ideas and business services. It is an enthusiastic, energetic and open-minded group of international students making sometimes crazy ideas come true!

Living in the Arctic area and studying entrepreneurship is sort of a privilege, which I start to realize as my study deepens. The world is revealing this magic land. Finnish Lapland’s tourism business is booming currently as well as the start-up culture. Although honestly speaking this is an area where the start-up culture was relatively fragile in comparison to another northern Finnish city Oulu. Nokia’s fall build the foundation of Oulu raising all the engineers who left the formal world mobile business leader to start their own companies, build their community and help each other.

That is exactly what my goal is – bringing up the awareness of entrepreneurship among young students, promoting the start-up culture, using the method of Lean start-up, bringing the engineers to the business people and to make the chemistry happen!

And I know it’s a tough job, that’s why I’m here with my team, Nina and Laura, who share the same passion that I do. I hope that together we will make a memorable seminar capable of making a difference. As an International Business student, marketing is what I have been focusing on and what I have been interested in.

​Being a participant in many start-ups such as Start-up Weekend Oulu and Barents Young Entrepreneur Project (with all the young entrepreneurs from Norway, Sweden, and Russia), gave me a profound experience of working internationally and thinking creatively. Luckily, we happen to bring the project manager Mr. Berglund here, together with all the other amazing speakers. Surely, this is an event not to miss!

I am originally an Oulu citizen coming from a town of Kiiminki who chose to study Hospitality Management here in Rovaniemi over three years ago. In addition to the handy bus connection between my original home city and the present one, moving to Rovaniemi was a great idea as the city is large enough to find what I need but small enough where it´s easy to find the relevant networks, even the international ones.

Since I study my Bachelor degree in the polytechnic university of Lapland, everything I have been working on has been very concrete. From the creation of blogposts, articles and social media posts advancing all the way to product designs and working during the event days. Besides attending my school´s lectures, everything I have been learning during school and more has went to mainly assisting on independent student projects inside the student organization InnoBarentsLab. Which, upon joining, has been one of the highlights of my life.

Since 2015 I have been working as a cashier and translator during restaurant days and flea markets, worked on the info desk, acted as a helper on the audiovisual side of seminars, promoted the organization both live and online, made occasional social media posts and helped in the planning and execution of the recent HAGI handicraft workshops. For the end of the year 2017 until now, my main role as part of the InnoBarentsLab has been to assist the project manager in planning and execution of the upcoming Northern Stars Seminar from all aspects.

On my free time, I like to watch different geek event vlogs and movie, book, concept etc. analyses, primarily for my own enjoyment while being simultaneously hopeful the information I get from those I can transcribe to the work too. I have a strong preference for media and art themed events, seeking to hear the stories from artisans and business experts.

I wish to have more of those kinds of events where I would be excited to both participate and take part in here in Rovaniemi although they feel to be quite far in between. Therefore, I am grateful I get to work on Northern Stars Seminar so I can show that it is possible to have successful events that are not strictly class related but not too labour intensive for persons not dwelled into business subjects to follow. In the near future, I would like to go deeper into my geek side and possibly work on game events or other such entertaining events that would provide more to the Rovaniemi and Lapland event scene.

I am doing my advanced practical training as a Northern Stars Seminar project manager, which is part of my International Business studies at Lapland University of Applied Sciences. I feel like this is the best kind of opportunity for students to show their skills and to expand professional network.

I like the challenge of making impossible into reality, and every day working as a project manager I am learning new things. There is no way to learn all these things by just reading books or sitting at classes (although gathering good theoretical background is always good). All the experiences along the way will shape you, and make you to who you are today. Never in a million years during my first year would I have thought that I would be doing something like this right now!

My free time mostly consists of listening to music, going to concerts and most of all, following sports. I do not even mind travelling for these type of events, as an organizer or a regular visitor. Even if there is no one else going with me, I would still go if I am super excited about the event. As an organizer, I am most excited when the event I am working on combines music and sports!

Northern Stars Seminar 2018 is all about creating your own opportunity, by taking risks and learning from mistakes and failures. We want to encourage everyone to think about the possibilities of doing business in the Arctic. You will never know, if you do not try at least.

As a university educator for almost 15 years I truly believe that young people have great inner potential for entrepreneurship and innovations. It is our task to unlock this potential and create an environment where young talents can flourish.

Often the fear to make a mistake and fail is a greatest barrier to all great entrepreneurial ideas and innovations. Therefore, the story of IBL is a story about the fear…or overcoming the deepest fear! The fear of an action that will result in failure, disappointment, frustration and judgment.

Entrepreneurship and innovation is about overcoming that deepest fear! One will overcome it only through an action, by getting out of own comfort zone – traditional class room. Come and act! Business success is a result of lessons learnt from past failures. InnoBarentsLab (IBL) is a safe place to fail! This is what I hope will add to the traditional learning of our student. Not necessarily, all of IBL participants will become entrepreneurs, but certainly all of them will become entrepreneurial in some way, the skill that will be needed in their life in any kind of endeavor. This unique opportunity of giving students a possibility to experience innovation and entrepreneurship outside traditional class-room setting has been my personal dream as an educator.

ARE YOU SOMEONE WHO DEALS WITH INTERNATIONAL POLITICS AND IS PASSIONATE ABOUT ARCTIC ISSUES? DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A STAR IN THE ARCTIC?

If you answered yes, then you might be the person we are looking for!Team of enthusiastic international students are organizing an amazing 3 day event called Northern Stars Seminar in Lapland UAS Jokiväylä campus in Rovaniemi on 19.4. - 21.4.2018. The main goal of the events is to promote young international entrepreneurship by bringing experts and students together to discuss arctic related issues.

UPDATE: ALL SPEAKER SPOTS FOR FRIDAY 20.4. 2018 ARE TAKEN!

Transportation and accommodation expenses will be covered!​Requirements:• Able to speak fluent English• Confident public speaker• Basic IT skills• To be available on 20.4.2018• Knowledge/experience about international politics and arctic issuesAlso we really appreciate, if you can provide links to your previous presentations on stage.Send your applications to innobarentslab@gmail.comWe are looking forward to hearing from you soon!